Walking through Pendry Plaza in the predawn glow, skis slung over my shoulder, I felt that familiar blend of excitement and nerves that only opening day can stir up. Suddenly, I spied this little boy, about a year old, standing alongside his mother. He looked up at me with wide, curious eyes … an d waved. Just like that, the whole morning brightened. Despite the early morning hour, I was savoring a plate of nachos as I walked past Dos Olas in the plaza — a new route to a new lift — to open the season. And there she was, gleaming red in all her glory, the new Sunrise Gondola, the latest creation from Leitner-Poma, ready to carry eager skiers and riders up to the Red Pine base. Opening day in a ski town always brings its own brand of crazy. You’ve got the diehards who camp out overnight, fixated on the dream of that first turn of the season. And then you have those like me who spend all night searching for gear and trying on the jacket, helmet, goggles, and pants that have been sitting in boxes for months. Top that off with a sprint to Rennstall at Deer Valley when you realize you left your right ski boot there to set up your new skis and bindings. But eventually, it all came together. With about 30 minutes to go, I glanced toward the expanding crowd in the corral. Should I stake a claim? Or keep catching up with friends I hadn’t seen since spring? A little lift-capacity math settled it: 10-person cabins would vaporize that line in minutes. All summer long I’d watched construction crews assemble the Sunrise Gondola piece by piece — towers rising, cables threading skyward — imagining what it would mean for mornings at Canyons Village. The Red Pine Gondola and Orange Bubble Express had long done the heavy lifting. But Sunrise, tucked elegantly into Pendry Plaza, promised something gentler, easier, maybe even a bit magical. A pop of champagne signaled the moment. Sunrise roared quietly to life, its bright red cabins gliding out of the terminal as lifties shepherded skiers into tidy groups of 10. The ride was smooth and quiet, a peaceful silence as we glided above freshly fallen snow. We scanned the woods for moose. No luck. At the top, a mix of snow crystals and freezing rain greeted us — the kind of weather that sticks to your goggles and turns the world slightly blurry. On Saddleback Express I shared a chair with a BYU student who’d sprinted up from Provo with only an Ikon Pass, enticed by the trail map’s spaghetti of runs spilling off the ridge and willing to buy a ticket for the day. It was like that moment 50 years ago when I stared at the trail map of Vail Mountain and its impressive ridgeline as I planned my first trip to the mountains. His enthusiasm was contagious. But there would be only one run to ski today. Saddleback, now in its 29th season, remains a portal to tradition. Every opening day, Kokopelli calls. Named for the legendary hunch-backed flutist, the trail rolls and pitches in a rhythm so familiar you almost hear its music under your skis. It took a few turns to get into the flow. I drew on my preseason training with Coach Parker at Sim.Sports a few weeks ago. It was glory snow as I pressed my ankles against my boots, carving turn after turn.  My first few turns were tentative. Then muscle memory awoke — little reminders of preseason sessions with Coach Parker at Sim.Sports a few weeks earlier. Soon I was pressing ankles into boots, letting the skis arc, carving turn after turn through the velvety snow. A joyful first descent of the season. As good as the skiing was on Kokopelli, the icy mist on the goggles was enough reason for a hot chocolate in Red Pine Lodge, including a period of contemplation.  My mind kept wandering back to that little boy in Pendry Plaza. He was part of a group from PC Tots, our local nonprofit day care. For a decade now, PC Tots has been playing a vital role in our community, supported by Vail’s EpicPromise, as well as from Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz himself. An hour earlier at the Sunrise christening, I watched as my little 1-year-old friend gathered with his buddies, some with skis and helmets, as they held up a $200,000 check from EpicPromise to support their day care and other important causes in our town. There was something special about that next generation climbing aboard the Sunrise Gondola on its maiden voyage to the top. The post Ridgelines: Sunrise with the kids appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less